


A Second First Meeting

by batsy_rocks



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Bat Family, Cute, De-Aged Bruce Wayne, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Kid Fic, Season/Series 01, Secrets, Young Bruce Wayne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 06:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4819223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batsy_rocks/pseuds/batsy_rocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce gets de-aged. Somehow. Alfred calls Dick back to the Manor. Dick gets to meet his now <i>pint-sized</i> guardian. Fluff ensures, among other things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

As soon as Dick materialized into the Batcave he ran to the changing area and hurriedly discarded his suit, putting on the first clothes he found; a blue t-shirt and dark sweatpants.

He had been on the mountain training with the team when Alfred had contacted him, telling him 'a matter of utmost importance had come up' and he was needed back home. That, of course, didn't signal whatever that 'matter' was as an emergency (they had a code for that) but Dick still had fleet to the zeta tubes without so much as a hastened 'Sorry. Batcave.' and was now climbing the stairs two at a time to get to the Manor.

He emerged from the cave through the hidden passage behind the grandfather clock and into the main study mere minutes later. The room was empty, just as the cave had been, so he left the room without missing a second.

Dick had just turned a corner when the sight of a small boy of about five or six standing in the middle of the hallway made him freeze in his track.

The kid had short dark hair, small winged eyebrows and blue eyes peeking from under dark bangs, and was wearing a dark sweater and shiny dress shoes. He was standing very still, watching Dick back just as carefully, with a glimpse of fear in his eyes-

His striking dark blue eyes.

It was the eyes that convinced Dick. There was a certain something about Bruce's eyes that made them so distinctive. Dick wasn't sure if it was the color or _something_ else altogether, but what he did know was that he had never seen eyes like his before.

"Bruce?"

The word startled Bruce, making his eyes widen and his heart beat faster as he watched the strange older boy in his home.

Dick lifted his hands, palms up, and did his best to look as harmless as he could. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"I'm not scared!"

The corner of Dick's lips curled up. He may be tiny, but yep, this was Bruce alright. "Yeah, okay. I'm sorry for showing up like this. Alfred sent me."

"Who are you."

"I'm Dick. Richard, but I like Dick better." Dick lowered his hands but didn't move from where he stood, still a couple of feet away from the nervous boy. "You, ah, you don't know who I am, do you?"

Bruce didn't answer, his eyes narrowed and hands curled into first at his sides. He bit his lip and tried to be brave, resisting the urge to call for Alfred.

"That's okay, really. You were very _different_ the last time we meet." Dick paused. He had never wished more for Alfred to appear around the corner with his always impeccable timing. No such luck. "I'm ... your cousin. From your father's side."

Thanks to Alfred's patience and willingness to answer endless questions when he first came to live at the Manor, he knew that for the most part, the Waynes had not been really happy with the marriage between Bruce's parents, and so Bruce did not have much contact with them, not even when his parents were alive. Dick was really, really hoping that would help him right now.

Bruce still didn't look convinced, but he relaxed slightly, some of the fear leaving his eyes.

"Cousin,"

Dick barely held back a sigh of relief at the inquiring but not disbelieving tone. "Yes! My parents and I don't live in Gotham so that's why we don't see each other a lot."

"Where do you live?"

"Um, we travel a lot, but I live mostly in Star city." Thank God for Batman's training to think on the spot and Alfred's to keep a straight face while lying through his teeth. Though it wasn't exactly a lie. He traveled to Star city every year with the circus, after all.

"Why are you here?"

"My parents had to leave the country. Business stuff, you know? So I'm staying here for a few days." Dick made a face. It was weird, talking about his parents like this. Talking as if they were still alive. He swallowed hard, turning his attention back to Bruce as he spoke.

"My parents are out of the country too."

Dick held back a grimace. Poor Alfie, having to go through that conversation. "Oh, I know that. But Alfie is here and I remember he makes really amazing chocolate chip cookies and he's totally great so he agreed to look after me. My- my mom thought it would be nice for us to spend some time together, and that we would miss them less if we weren't alone."

Bruce pondered that for a moment. Alfred hadn't mentioned any of that, and neither had his mother or father. But then again, he didn't really remember seeing his parents leave or saying goodbye to them. It was ... very strange.

"How did you get here?"

"Mom and Dad drove me here, but they were already running late so they didn't come in. Alfred greeted me at the door and told me to come look for you while he went back to the kitchen."

Bruce nodded slowly after a moment. His father had always assured him the Manor was safe (especially after he had bad dreams), so there was no way someone strange would have just walked inside, much less get past Alfred. Maybe he was telling the truth.

"So, do I get a welcome hug?"

There was hesitation, but not panic or annoyance in the little face, so Dick didn't wait for an answer, even if he moved slowly to give Bruce time to stop him or pull back. He bent down a little to throw his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"It's really good to see you, B," Dick whispered against the soft dark hair. "You're a lot- _taller_ than I remember."

It took a moment, but he felt Bruce's small hands on his back, returning the hug. He felt like he might cry of happiness. Bruce had gotten better at giving hugs over the years, but he was still kind of awkward about it most of the time, so this was nice. Really, really nice.

"B?" Bruce asked as soon as he was released, looking up at the smiling face.

"Ah. I'm not really a fan of names. They're kinda boring." Dick hesitated. "You don't mind, do you?"

Bruce shook his head, seeing a bright smile light up the othe- Dick's face. He had a really nice smile. Just seeing it made him smile back a little.

Dick cleared his throat, "We probably should go look for Alfred. Bet he's still in the kitchen."

"Okay,"

They walked together through the hallway, and while Bruce still seemed to be a bit wary of him, he wasn't eyeing him out of the corner of his eye or sending him furtive looks to make sure he wasn't going to attack him or something, so Dick counted it as a win.

"This is gonna be asterous."

"Asterous?" He asked with knitted eyebrows.

Dick's face light up. "Yeah! You know, like, 'aster' is the opposite of 'disaster' so this is going to be super asterous."

"That's not a real word, is it?"

"But of course it is! Just like how 'like' is the opposite of 'dislike.' Or 'approve' is the opposite of 'disapprove.'"

Bruce gave him an uncertain look, little brow still furrowed, but didn't protest further.

"Ooh! I have so many things to teach you, little B," Dick threw an arm over his shoulder, grinning widely. The position was kind of weird, with Bruce being so tiny, but not too awkward. For once, being small for his age wasn't all that bad. "But first we need to go find Alfred."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of you guys are waiting for updates on my other fics and I should be working on them, but I just couldn't resist. De-aging and time travel are two of my favorite tropes ever, and while I've come up with a lot of ideas using them, this is the first time I get really invested in writing it, and so I did. I just love tiny Bruce. So cute!
> 
> There will be most likely one more chapter, but after that I can't make any promises.
> 
> Lastly, English is not my native language, so any tips or corrections are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Alfie! Found him," Dick called as soon as he stepped into the kitchen with Bruce at his side. He didn't want to give too much away without talking with Alfred first, even if he knew the butler was more than capable of going along with anything he said.

And the talk was going to have to wait since they couldn't speak freely with Bruce here.  
   
"I can see that, Master Richard. Master Bruce," Alfred greeted his now youngest charge with a gentle upturn of his lips before turning back to the teenage boy. "You had no difficulty finding him then, young sir?"  
   
Dick didn't miss the way Bruce's small body relaxed fully at the older man's recognition of the strange visitor. Or maybe it was just Alfred's familiar presence what caused that reaction. Not that it mattered. Dick was happy and relieved either way.   
   
"Nah. It was him who found me, actually. In the hallway," He added with a meaningful look.  
   
"I see," Alfred replied with a nearly imperceptible nod of his head. Yep. The cave and any other Bat-related business were safe. For now. "Well, young sirs, now that you're both here why don't you go wash up. I have a light supper ready for you."  
   
"Sure!" Dick agreed before turning to Bruce, "Come on!" He took the smallest hand in his, and they disappeared together. They didn't run, because Dick was sure Alfred's firm rule about not running inside the Manor had been in place even back when Bruce was a kid, so they walked quickly instead.  
   
He remembered just in time to ask Bruce for directions rather that led himself. It would be odd than he remembered the Manor's layout so well after years without 'visiting'.  
   
When they returned, just a couple of minutes later. From where he was standing by the oven, Alfred steered them straight to the large kitchen island to sit down.   
   
Bruce quietly climbed up on his usual stool, trying not to squirm in his seat as the older boy sat at his side. He didn't like it when people he didn't know got too close, but this wasn't so bad. He kept his eyes away and swung his dangling feet a little as he waited.  
   
Silence filled the kitchen as Alfred placed two plates filled with delicious smelling food before them.  
   
Dick exchanged a look with Alfred as the butler returned with two glasses filled with orange juice for them. The older man's eyes were kind as his lips formed a sympathetic but unconcerned small smile, so maybe this wasn't too _weird._ For this Bruce he was a total stranger, so maybe that was why he was being shy.   
   
Their previous exchange had been more an interrogatory than a real conversation, after all.  
   
Bruce looked down at his plate, moving around his food a little with his spoon. He missed his parents so much, but he didn't want to act like a baby. Dick's parents were gone too and he was okay.  
   
"Is something wrong with your food, Master Bruce? Perhaps you would like something else."  
   
He looked up as the butler said his name, and then shook his head as he finished speaking. "No. It's fine, Alfred." Bruce shoved a spoonful into his mouth to confirm his words, chewing slowly. It tasted good, like everything Alfred made. So, even if he wasn't very hungry, he kept eating anyway.  
   
Dick ate in silence for a moment. Maybe it would be better if he spoke up rather than wait for Bruce to do it? He wasn't sure. But he had never liked silence, so it didn't take him long to make up his mind.  
   
"Where were you anyway?" He asked nonchalantly, as he turned to look at Bruce. "Before you found me."  
   
Bruce hesitated a second before answering. "The library."  
   
Dick nodded. That was good. According to Alfred, the library had stayed pretty much the same over the years, so there was less chance of Bruce noticing something strange. Not that the Manor as a whole had changed much, but still. He wondered if Alfred had suggested it or Bruce had gone there on his own. Probably the latter. He recalled Bruce telling him the library had been one of his favorite places when he was a younger.  
   
"Cool! You like books?"  
   
"Yes."  
   
"I like books too," Dick shared with a smile. "What were you reading? No, wait. Do you know how to read?"  
   
Bruce slumped slightly in his chair, keeping his eyes down as he shook his head in denial.  
   
Startled, Dick looked back at Alfred for help. He hadn't expected that kind of reaction to such a simple question. The kid at his side was too young to know how to read, but he had thought it better to ask. This was still _Bruce,_ after all, so he wouldn't have been surprised if he had gotten an affirmative answer instead.  
   
"Master Bruce started learning recently, but I must say he's doing an outstanding job, young sir."  
   
The teenager sent the butler a grateful smile. "I'm sure he has," He turned back to the young boy, noticing the faint pink tinge on his cheeks. Dick held back a grin. "Everyone needs time to learn new things, you know. It took me some time to learn how to read too, but Mom and Dad helped me a lot, so it wasn't too hard. I'm sure your parents are helping you too, right?"  
   
"Yes," Bruce admitted with a small smile. "And Alfred too."  
   
Dick saw him exchange a smile with the older man. He beamed.  
   
"That's great! With all that wonderful help I'm sure you will learn in no time."  
   
Bruce ducked his head, lips curled up into a soft smile and a warm feeling in his belly at the older boy's words.   
   
"I remember my mom read to me when I was younger," Dick recalled with a sad but fond smile. "Maybe we can read together later. If you want."  
   
Bruce perked up a little at that. He _loved_ when his parents or Alfred read to him, and he wouldn't mind if Dick did it this time. He kind of liked him. He was nice.  
   
"Really?"  
   
Out of the corner of his eye, Dick caught Alfred's faint but honest smile. He was sure a bigger smile was reflected on his face. "Of course! It'll be fun."  
   
"I- I would like that."  
   
"It's sealed then," Dick declared, bouncing a little in his seat.  
   
Alfred cleared his throat, drawing the attention of both boys. "Before you go anywhere, young sirs, you have to finish your lunch."  
   
"Yes, Alfred." Both answered in unison, turning to look at each other and sharing a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. And yes, there is going to be more because reasons. Fluffy and cute reasons. And more Alfred too.


	3. Chapter 3

Surprisingly- or not, it was Bruce who finished first. He was so excited by the promise of being read to that he picked up the pace and cleaned his plate, much to Alfred's pleasure. And, maybe that was helped by the fact Dick was stalling; taking small bites and spending a lot of time chatting with Alfred about nothing and everything, all in hope of having a moment alone with the older man.

Seeing little Bruce bounce a bit in his seat and send him urgent looks to hurry up was a very welcome bonus. For him, _and_ for Alfred too.

"Master Bruce. Why don't you go brush your teeth while Master Richard finishes his meal?"

"Come on, Alfie, I told you to just call me Dick," He complained, with a pout and a twinkle in his eyes.

It was something of a running joke now, 'try' to convince Alfred to drop the 'master' part. When he had first come to live at the Manor, he had quietly and shyly told the kind man he could call him just Dick, like his parents and his friends at the circus did. But later on, once he was more at ease with being around him and Bruce, it had turned into a bit of a game to keep insisting, even if he knew Alfred wasn't going to change his mind about it.

"Of course, Master Dick."

The teenager sighed dramatically, turning to Bruce with such a theatrically crushed expression on his face that it made the young boy smile.

Bruce turned to the butler. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Of course, young sir."

With a nod, Bruce slid down from his stool. He hesitated, chewing on his lip slightly as he looked up at Dick. "Hurry up, okay?" He added, taking off before the older boy could answer.

A bright smile lighted up Dick's face. He turned his head, looking after him to make sure the small boy had truly disappeared from view before looking back at Alfred.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Alfie, he's so _precious!_ And so cute and so tiny! He acts so much like Bruce _Bruce,_ but not really because he's less grumpy and more open about showing real emotions. But well, kids aren't that good at hiding things so," Dick shrugged, pausing to take a breath. "You have to remind me to ask for cute baby pics once this is over, Alfie. I need to see them."

Alfred smiled kindly, already used to Dick's animated ramblings to be fazed. "I will be sure to provide them, Master Dick."

"Awesome!" The boy grinned before turning serious. "So, I don't suppose you know what happened."

"I haven't the slightest idea, I'm afraid. I found Master Bruce in that particular _condition_ when I went to the master bedroom to wake him up this morning." Alfred paused. "It was quite difficult to explain suitably why he was wearing pajamas too large for him and sleeping in a room that was not his own."

"I can imagine. I got quite the interrogatory when he saw me," Dick said with a grimace. He supposed it was actually a good thing he spent the night on the mountain last night, otherwise it would have been him going to wake Bruce up and he didn't think that would have gone too well.

But, if he hadn't listened to Wally about doing the sleepover in the first place, he would have been in Gotham last night, and would have gone out on patrol to watch Batman's back like he was supposed to and so this wouldn't have happened.

Not that he wasn't giddy just seeing Bruce like this; it was totally asterous and so much fun to meet kid Bruce, but it was also bad when they knew nothing about what happened. He would be all too happy to enjoy and go along with this if he knew Bruce was going to be fine and nothing bad was going to come from all this. But he didn't, so he had to think and worry a bit too.

"He was fine when he came back from patrol, right?" Dick questioned, even if he already knew the answer. B called him when he got in from patrol -like Dick had asked him to- and they talked a little bit.

"Yes. Master Bruce looked just fine when he returned. He did not require medical assistance, therefore, he dismissed me and stayed in the cave to work in his report of the night's activities."

Dick looked over his shoulder to make sure Bruce wasn't on his way back before speaking. "Looks like read last night's report could be a good start to try to figure out what happened."

"That was my thought, yes, but taking care of Master Bruce has left me with no time to spare."

He nodded distractedly, chewing on his lower lip in thought. "Maybe we should check the Batmobile's GPS records too. Get last night's patrol route and access the surveillance cameras to try to find out who did this. And we probably should contact the League too," He added. "Or at least Uncle Clark. B is going to be annoyed when he gets back to normal, but I think we're going to need help with this."

Dick furrowed his brow at the look Alfred was giving it. Right. He probably had thought about all that already. "I shall go downstairs to take care of it, sir."

"I can-"

"I believe, Master Dick, that you have more important matters to attend to." Alfred countered.

"What? I- Oh, right," He had promised little Bruce to read to him. And, that would also help keep him busy while Alfred went down to the Batcave. "Okay. But you'll keep me posted, right?"

Alfred bowed slightly. "Of course, sir."

"Good," Dick replied with a nod. "Oh! And, like I said, he kind of interrogated me when he saw me so I had to improvise. I told him I'm his cousin and my parents are on a trip so that's why I'm staying here. I also told him I don't live in Gotham so that's why he doesn't know me."

"That was very clever of you, young sir. I realize I should have prevented you of the situation when I contacted you."

"Nah, it's okay, Alfie. It was totally asterous to come home to find a mini-Bruce waiting for me. Telling me would have kinda ruined the surprise," Dick gave the butler a toothy grin. "Anything I should know about?"

"Nothing particularly pressing, I believe. You would not be able to use your bedroom for the time being, of course, but I would make sure to put anything you may need for the foreseeable future in one of the guest rooms."

"Oh. Okay." Dick agreed easily. He hadn't thought that far yet, but it made perfect sense. He couldn’t use a room filled with his stuff if he was supposed to be just visiting. That brought him back to something he had wanted to ask before.

"What did you tell him about his room?"

"Ah. Well, young sir, I fear I had to tell Master Bruce his room was closed off due to a small infestation of termites, and that is why he could not use it at the moment." Dick snorted. But _of course_ Alfred could handle something this crazy without even batting an eye.

"You're the best, Alfie. The very, very best."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be up last week, but I got busy working on something else. Sorry!
> 
> The good news is, I've had plenty of time to think about this fic and I can now proudly announce I have a pretty good idea of where this story is going (yes, this isn't just a fluffy and angsty mess anymore, even if there's going to be plenty of it) and you can expect a few characters to pop up along the way. I'm thinking it would extend like ten chapters or so.


	4. Chapter 4

A sense of déjà vu overcame Dick as he followed after Bruce, the small boy guiding him on their way to the library.

The Manor had seemed so big and scary when he first came to live here. Completely different from the small trailers he was used to from the circus. His awe at the immense size of the place was still there, but it had stopped being scary a long time ago.

Right now, this little walk reminded him too much of his first official tour of the Manor, only a couple of days after his arrival and with Bruce's still new but somewhat secure presence at his side as he stepped into the huge, majestic rooms of the old Manor, each more opulent than the last. With its high ceilings and shiny marble floors, and the antique rugs and expensive vases.

Bruce didn't show him every room then, just the ones he was more likely to use, even if he was given full reign of the Manor as long as he let Alfred know where he was going to be. He had been overwhelmed by what he saw anyway, so it had taken him a couple of days to, little by little, adventure further.

His _expeditions_ were reserved for when Bruce had to leave to go to the office or somewhere else, and he was left to entertain himself. He spent the time doing cartwheels and other stuns in the gardens, or curiously exploring behind huge closed doors - the doors that weren't locked at least -. Sometimes, he just lay on the floor on one of the many rooms with Elinore at his side or with a book between his hands. Or both of them.

In quiet moments such as those, he sometimes wondered what it must have been like to grow up in such a big, empty house. Because even before the death of Bruce's parents, it was just the four of them (and yes, he was counting Alfie because he was part of the family back then too) and maybe a handful of staff members to keep the Manor impeccable.

As he walked through the endless corridors and stepped into empty rooms, it was hard to imagine a little boy growing up in there. He wondered if Bruce had friends that come over to play with him, or if he was always all alone. What he did to pass the time when his parents weren't home or were busy with something else.

He hadn't liked the thought of a lonely kid Bruce back then, and he liked it _even less_ now that he got to meet him. There was nothing he could do about the past, but what he could do was make sure Bruce had fun now that he was a kid again, for as long as it lasted.

"This is the library," Bruce announced proudly, pulling the door open.

Standing at his side, Dick took a moment to look around the library; the familiar dark bookshelves lining the walls, the large windows, and huge fireplace. The warm feeling that filled him the first time he saw the room was back again. "It's wonderful."

The breathed words made Bruce look up at him, little dark brows furrowed slightly when he saw the strange look on his face. His blue eyes were very bright as they looked all around the library from where they stood at the door. As if feeling him watching, Dick looked down at him with a small smile.

"Why don't you pick what we're going to read?"

The small boy nodded slowly, dutifully walking away and toward one of the shelves.

Dick let out a sigh as he saw him walk away. Bruce was obviously very perceptive, even as a kid, so he needed to be more careful about his reactions. Shaking his head, he moved further into the room. He eyed the comfy armchairs before steering toward the sofa and flopping down on it.

Bruce was standing before one of the large bookcases, the tip of his fingers touching the spine of the books in one of the lowers shelves. While his mother had given permission to come to the library on his own, she had done so only after he promised to take only the books on the lowers shelves. Not only because his mother didn't want him to use the rolling ladder, but because the other books were for grown up.

He bit his lip as he looked at the books before finally reaching to take one of them. Once the book was secured, hugged to his chest, Bruce walked back slowly.

"Hey," Dick called as soon as he saw him. "Find a nice book to read?"

The dark-haired boy nodded, hesitating once he reached the other boy's side before handing him the book he picked.

Dick looked down at the cover of The Three Musketeers on his hand -an illustrated, kid-friendly edition of The Three Musketeers- a smile spreading on his face. "The Three Musketeers, huh? It's been a while since I read this."

"You've read it before?" Bruce asked; thrilled because they had chosen the same book, and sad because Dick may not want to read it again.

"Yeah."

"I can pick another book."

"Nah, it's okay. It'll be nice to read it again. Besides, I remember how much I loved the pictures. They're very pretty."

Bruce nodded gratefully, climbing on the sofa and settling on the other end, eager to start the story. He only hoped Dick would turn the book so he could see the pictures too.

"Why are you so far away? Come here," Dick called, patting the empty space at his side. "You should sit closer so you can follow along as I read."

The small boy needed no further prompting than that, sliding closer to Dick's side quickly, even if he still left a small gap between them. Dick pouted a little but made no comment about it. As much as he wanted to be cuddling up with Bruce while he read to him, he didn't want to push him. Little Bruce needed time to get used to his presence and to trust him. He didn't like it, but he could be patient.

Dick only hoped Bruce would stay like this long enough for that to happen.

"What is it?" He asked as soon as he noticed the lowered eyes and lip caught between small teeth. "Come on, it's okay. You can tell me."

"Can I-" Bruce bit his lip again, hands resting on his crossed legs. "Is it okay if I ask you if I don't know what a word means?"

"Of course you can! And even if I don't know either we can just look it up together, right?" Dick replied, trying to put him at ease. By his reaction when he asked him if he knew how to read, Dick could tell he wasn't comfortable admitting he didn't know something, even if most kids his age didn't know it either.

Typical Bruce. Always wanting to go five steps ahead of everyone else, even as a kid.

"We could just ask Alfred," Bruce offered brightly. "He knows _everything."_

"Sure, we can do that too." They were definitely not doing that, Dick thought as he gave him a smile, pulling the book open.

As he started reading a moment later, Dick was careful to keep the book close to his lap so Bruce could see it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! And I'm sorry for making you guys wait for this update a bit. The good news is, I've been working on this story these past few months (just in bits and pieces of several other chapters rather than in this one). And something I should have mentioned before is that this is set early on season 1, so there wouldn't be any other Batkids showing up, sorry. Also, to make things simpler for me -mostly technologically-wise and to make any changes around the Manor less drastic- this will be set in 2016 rather than in 2010 like the show, so Bruce would have been born in 1984 (he's supposed to have 32 in season 1). I hope it's not too bothersome or confusing for you, but if it is, please let me know and I will reconsider it.
> 
> Thank you for reading and all the comments, kudos and bookmarks too :D


	5. Chapter 5

Dick closed the book between his hands carefully, smiling softly down at the mop of dark hair nestled against his shoulder.

It had taken perhaps ten minutes into the lecture for Bruce to start sliding closer little by little. Too mesmerized by the cadence of the story to care or notice, or just instinctively being drawn to the warm body by his side. It had taken a bit, but the light weight of the boy's head resting on his shoulder had made Dick smile widely.

Bruce hadn't gone to sleep so easily, though. Because _of course_ he hadn't. Dick had had to stop himself from giggling out loud several times when he noticed out of the corner of his eye the small boy blinking furiously, struggling to stay awake.

Even as he looked away with a smile still on his face, Dick didn't move. He should take advantage now that Bruce was out cold and go look for Alfred; find out if the older man had found something, or simply talk without the risk of being overheard by the bright boy at his side. Still, he chose to stay where he was, at least for a while longer.

This was very nice.

For a moment, he was reminded of the circus and all the other kids in there. Reminded of Raya and Zane and Raymond, his friends from the circus, and all the shenanigans they got themselves into all the time. Falling asleep together close to the animals and sneaking away from the adults. In a lot of ways, the four of them had been like brothers growing up together. Even so, Dick had always wanted a real brother or sister to play with and look after, and so he had asked his parents on more than one occasion.

It went the same way every time: His dad ruffled his hair with a laugh and his mom smiled softly, caressing his cheek or hugging him. They always told him what a great big brother he would be.

Dick swallowed hard. Eyes closed, he lifted his hand and, after a moment of hesitation, ran his fingers through Bruce's hair slowly.

All too soon, his sense of responsibility came back at full force. Bruce was obviously in no shape to solve things like he always did, so it was up to him -and Alfred- to take care of everything. And he was going to bring Bruce- _his_ Bruce back.

Robin wasn't going to disappoint Batman. And Dick wasn't going to disappoint Bruce either.

With a determined nod, Dick slipped away carefully, holding Bruce's weight with both hands as he slowly maneuvered the little boy to lay on the sofa. He scrunched up his face in a rather adorable way and moved a little, but didn't open his eyes.

He stood there, looking down at Bruce for a moment to make sure he really wasn't going to wake up before walking toward the door on silent feet.

Dick was just stepping out of the library when Alfred found him.

"Master Dick."

"Oh, hey Alfie. I was about to go look for you."

Alfred looked past Dick and into the still open door, a flicker of consternation in his eyes. "Is everything alright, young sir?"

"Yeah. Totally whelming," The teenager reassured him with a smile. "Bruce fell asleep when we were about to finish the chapter, so I was just going to the den to bring a blanket for him before going to look for you."

The butler nodded promptly. "There is no need for that, Master Dick. I shall go fetch it for you."

"It's okay, I'll go. You can watch him for a little bit, right?" Dick asked with a playful grin.

"I believe I can do that, sir," Alfred replied dryly, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Okay. Be right back."

Dick walked quickly to the den -no running in the Manor, remember?- pushing the door open and going straight to the sofa with the blue blanket neatly folded in the corner.

When he returned to the library Dick came to a stop at the doorway, a smile curling his lips upward. Alfred was standing before the sofa, looking down at the sleeping boy with a fond smile on his face. He was bending forward with one arm stretched out, probably touching Bruce's face or his hair.

Dick would have turned back the way he had come from to give Alfred more time with Bruce, but the older man had already seen him. He promptly withdrew his hand and was once again standing upright in a blink, so that wasn't an option. He walked further into the room and handed him the blanket without a word.

"Thank you, Master Dick." Alfred murmured as he unfolded the blanket and proceeded to cover the sleeping boy carefully with it. They both heard the small sigh that escaped his mouth as he snuggled further into the warm cloth.

Dick opened his mouth to talk, but closed it again when Alfred motioned for them to step out of the room.

"Is it wrong that I kind of would like to keep him like that for a while?" Dick asked as soon as Alfred pulled the door, leaving it slightly open. "I mean, I love big Bruce, and I want to have him back, but, well, I really like this mini version of him too. It's- it's nice."

Alfred smiled kindly down at him. "I don't believe there is anything wrong with that, Master Dick. I must admit seeing Master Bruce like this was quite a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah," Dick replied with a smile. He shook his head, the smile gone from his face. "Did you find anything?"

"I'm afraid I did not," Alfred admitted with a small sigh. "I read through Master Bruce's report thoughtfully and found no mention of any strange event. After that, I review the footage of the cowl, but I obtained the same result."

That last part wasn't particularly surprising. The cowl showed what Bruce saw, so if he didn't see anything, it was because there was nothing to see.

"I also called Mr. Kent."

Dick perked up at that. "What did he say?"

"After I explained briefly the situation, he confirmed that Mr. Blood and Mr. Zatara are currently out of the planet, but he was kind enough to contact the Watchtower and ask Mr. J'onzz to relay a message to ask them to contact him as soon as possible."

Dick nodded. There were several other magic users in the League they could turn to, but asking for their help would mean they had to reveal Batman's identity, which couldn't be taken lightly. Bruce had trained under both Jason Blood and Giovanni Zatara tutelage when he had been traveling abroad before becoming Batman, so they already know how he was.

"Did he say anything else?"

The butler sent him a knowing look. "Yes. He mentioned he was busy with his work in the Daily Planet, but said he would fly by later today."

"Of course he did," Dick said with a snort. There was _no way_ he was going to miss the chance to see Bruce like this. Not that Dick blamed him, but still.

"Yes, well. I should go to the attic to look for some of the things Master Bruce will need until this situation is fixed."

Dick had explored the attic on a few occasions, so he had seen some of Bruce's childhood things up there. "You want some help with that?"

"As much as I appreciate the offer, Master Dick, I believe you should stay with Master Bruce." The butler replied promptly.

"You sure?"

Alfred arched a reproachful eyebrow at the wording. "Of course. I will merely search for them and wait for Mr Kent's arrival to ask for his assistance in getting them down from there and into one of the guest rooms."

"Okay." Dick agreed quietly. He watched Alfred walk away with a furrowed brow. Was he imagining it or Alfred was trying very _subtly_ to be around Bruce as little as possible?

Nah, he was probably just imagining things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did promise fluff, didn't I? And I even added a little dash of angst too. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
> 
> Thank you for all the comments, kudos and bookmarks!


	6. Chapter 6

With a book carefully picked between his hands, Dick sat down on the empty space on the sofa where little Bruce was still sleeping soundly. Watching him, he couldn't help but wonder if Bruce falling asleep like that was normal, or if it was caused somehow by older Bruce's crazy sleeping habits.

He shook his head as he settled more comfortably before pulling the book open. His love for books was another thing he shared with Bruce, but that had been instilled in him from an early age by his parents.

He always tried to make time to read something, but he didn't always get the chance to do that, of course. Between school, the Mathletes, playing the charming and polite billionaire's ward, his own small social life, and of course, Robin and all that came with the suit and mask, it was extremely hard to find the time to truly enjoy a good book.

Especially because he _hated_ starting a new book and then having to let days or even weeks pass before finishing it.

By the fourth time Dick had to start the same page again, he let out a resigned sigh and give up on trying to read, closing the book with a muted thud.

He had too many things on his mind to focus on reading. Or really, only one thing was in his mind (Bruce's current situation), but that kind of brought up an array of different thoughts.

Dick still couldn't understand how this had happened in the first place. The most logical answer was magic, of course, but that only brought more questions than answers.

While Gotham's criminals were a very resourceful bunch, magic wasn't something they tend to lean toward, even if some of the things they came up with were even crazier than that. It was so uncommon that he could count on one hand the number of times Batman and Robin had had to deal with magic-related incidents.

So it could either be a new player in the city, or someone desperate enough to try something as risky as magic. That sadly didn't reduce the pool of suspects, like, at all. And then there was perhaps the most important question of all: Why they chose to cast that particular spell. If they -whoever they were- had access to magic, why would they use such a harmless spell? Except-

What if the spell wasn't _harmless_ after all? Sure, it seemed pretty harmless, cute even, but what if that was part of the plan? Lull them into a sense of security and comfort; make the people around the Batman relax their guard at the sight of a small Bat. Distract them with a pretty shiny thing, like a magician?

Dick's eyes darted toward the sleeping boy, looking him over to make sure he was fine. He let out a breath. Okay, he needed to stay whelmed. It was a possibility, yes, but it was just that. There was no use getting ahead of himself when he didn't know anything for sure yet. He could only hope Blood or Zatara could be contacted quickly. They were the only ones who could give an answer.

Bruce's unhealthy tendency to piss off powerful creatures couldn't be ignored either, and this could very well be the result of him having done just that. _Again._ He hadn't mentioned any run-ins with magic users during his League missions in months, and even if he chose not to say anything, uncle Clark would have brought it up when Alfred told him what was going on. Not to mention powerful being weren't known for their restrain or patience for retaliation, so it was unlikely that one of them would have taken so long to act.

Dick rubbed a hand over his forehead. And, of course, there was also the possibility this Bruce wasn't actually _his_ Bruce.

There was a possibility, slim as it was that his Bruce had been sent to the past while little Bruce was sent to the future. Or perhaps that he came from an alternate universe or something like that. Stranger things had happened, after all. Of course, such activity would have caused an energy signature the League would have picked on, and with Batman's no-meta policy in Gotham, they would have contacted him or the cave to let him know about it.

And just like that, he was back to square one. Dick slumped in his seat, barely holding a groan as he covered his face with both hands. What he wouldn't do to be down in the cave right now, actually _working_ to find out what happened.

A loud, shrill noise made Dick jump, but only a second later he was hastening to pull out the cell phone from his pocket and press the button to ignore the call. Once he silenced it too, for good measure, he looked up to Bruce.

He moved a little, letting Dick caught a glimpse of small dark brows knitted together over closed eyes as he curled even further into himself. Huh. Little Bruce wasn't a light sleeper like his older counterpart then. Good. With a shake of his head, Dick looked down at the cell phone in his hand. A missed call from Wally. Of course.

He hadn't even noticed he had his phone with him until now, but a wide grin spread across his face. Dick jumped to his feet, moving to stand over Bruce as he focused the camera on his phone to the sleeping form curled up under the blanket. Finally, he could get some evidence of this!

Dick took a handful of photos from all possible angles, and even went for a selfie; using his acrobatic skills to hang upside down from the back of the couch with a grin, careful not to wake Bruce.

Full gallery saved, Dick walked toward the door of the library, stepping just outside to call Wally back. He wouldn’t put it past the speeder to run all the way to Gotham if he couldn't get in touch with him. Dick rolled his eyes, but there was a fond expression on his face as he did so.

Just as he was about to make the call, he considered running down to the cave for his commlink. The security of his phone was maybe even stronger than the president's with Bruce and him working on the encrypting of their civilian phones, but it never hurt to be extra cautious. Still, he couldn't take the risk of Bruce waking up while he was gone, or _worse,_ Wally getting too impatient and coming here.

He wasn't surprised when Wally picked up on the first ring.

"What's wrong?" The speeder asked without preamble, making Dick blink.

"Hello to you too, Walls."

"Dude! Are you okay?" He asked urgently.

"What? Yes, I'm fine. What's going on?"

"That's what I was going to ask you! You just left it the middle of tra- the game," Good. At least Wally remembered they were talking through an open line and so they couldn't speak openly. "Without saying anything."

"I did say I was coming back home," He pointed out, even when he already knew that answer wasn't going to be enough for the redhead.

"Yeah, but I've been trying to call to your- the other phone and you didn't answer."

"That's because the other phone is downstairs."

There was silence at the other end of the line for a beat, before Wally talked again. "Are you in trouble?"

"What? No! Of course not. Why would I be?"

"Well, I thought maybe Ba-Mr. Wayne had found out about the ba- the car-"

"Shh! He doesn't know about that! We agreed not to speak about that ever, Wallace." Dick had been speaking low from the beginning of the call, but now he was whispering furtively. They _swore_ to never talk about what happened that time with the batmobile. Never.

"I know! I was just worried, okay." For some strange reason, Wally was whispering too, and only years of knowing the speeder allowed Dick to be able to understand him now that he was talking fast and low. "So, what's going on? Why did you have to leave?"

"Oh, you know. B needed my help with something."

"That's kinda vague."

Lip caught between his teeth, Dick looked back at his sleeping mini guardian through the crack of the open door. He wanted to tell Wally. He really, really did, but he knew he couldn't. And not just because they were using their civilian phones right now.

"What's wrong?" Wally asked at his silence.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong. It's just- it's complicated, okay?"

In the silence that followed, Dick had no problem imagining Wally's thinking face. "How bad it is? Can I help?"

"I don't think so, no. And it's not bad, it's-"

"Complicated, right?"

"Yeah." Dick sighed softly. "Look, it's nothing bad or anything, but I really can't talk about it right now. Just, B and Alfie need my help."

"Okay. But you know you can call me if you need anything, right? I can be there in a flash."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Walls," Dick replied with a smile.

"What are best buddies for?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making you wait for this chapter, but to be honest I'm not very happy with the way it came out. I've been coming back and forth with it and after several edits that didn't change my mind, I decided it was best not to make you wait longer. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you again for all the support!
> 
> There wasn't much of Wally here, I know, but I'm adding the character tag because if he should be showing up further on. Also, next chapter we'll have uncle Clark paying them a visit :D


	7. Chapter 7

Why did he think Wally's movie marathon was a good idea? Dick thought as he yawned one more time.

One second he was back at Bruce's side, slumped on the sofa having picked up his book again and actually getting somewhere with it, and the next he was groggily blinking his eyes and struggling to keep them open.

Now that he thought about it, his tendency to fall asleep was another of the reasons why his reading habit had declined considerably in the last few years.

That was his last thought before finally losing the battle against sleep.

He woke up some unknown time later, and when he did, it took only a couple of seconds for what happened in the last few hours to come back to him, but it wasn't until he saw the empty space at his side that he straighten up hastily, wide blue eyes searching frantically for mini Bruce. God! What if he woke up and went wandering around the alone Manor? What if he looked for Alfred and didn't find him? _Or worse,_ what if he found him and saw something he shouldn't have?

From where he was lying on his stomach on the carpet with a book open before him, Bruce blinked up at the older boy's sudden awakening. Maybe he had a bad dream? With his small brow furrowed, Bruce wondered if he should say anything about it or pretend he hadn't seen him.

"Hey," Dick called with a smile, slumping a little in the sofa as soon as his eyes caught sight of the form of his tiny guardian. "Sorry I fall asleep on you. I must have been more tired than I thought."

"It's okay," Bruce replied easily, sitting up with his legs crossed.

Dick rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he stretched his arms, blinking as he looked down at himself. The blue blanket Alfred tucked Bruce in was now pooled in his lap. It took his foggy mind a second to come to the conclusion that Bruce must have covered him with it when he woke up and found him asleep. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, but he did resist the urge to tackle the boy down in a hug.

He didn't want to scare him when he was just starting to relax around him, after all.

"Alfred stopped by while you were sleeping," Dick commented casually.

"Oh."

It wasn't a response that prompted further explanation, but Dick gave it anyway. "Yeah. I guess he wanted to make sure we still were where we said we would."

The younger boy wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that, so he remained silent.

"Why don't you come up here so we can keep reading?" Dick suggested after taking a look at the watch on his wrist. It wasn't as late as he had thought. "Unless you want to do something else ...?"

Bruce pondered that for a moment. He was starting to feel a little bored cramped in here, but he didn't want to be rude. What if he said no and Dick didn't want to read more to him later? And, he also would like to hear another chapter, even if he worry he had missed too much of the story when he fell asleep.

With the decision apparently taken, Bruce stood up from the floor, letting Dick caught a glimpse of the book he had been looking at. Alice in Wonderland. Dick swallowed hard and ran a hand across his face to hide his expression.

It was one of the books Bruce's mother read to him when he was sick, so even now it was still one of Bruce's favorites. It was his comfort read.

Bruce shared that tidbit the first time Dick got sick under his care. He stayed in from work and showed up in his room with the book in his hand, and after awkwardly making sure Dick was as alright as he could while sick, had asked if he would like for him to read to him. Dick had been too miserable to truly care about the story, but had been so grateful for the company that he nodded right away from where he was cocooned in warm blankets.

He fell asleep almost as soon as Bruce started, of course, but had learned later why Bruce chose that particular book then, and Dick was pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence that he had been looking at the same book now.

Dick was pulled out of his melancholic thought when Bruce sat down on the sofa and was pleasurably surprised when he noticed the space between them was smaller this time.

* * *

Dick had just finished another chapter- he literally had just finished reading like two seconds before the silence was cut by a strange growling sound. A strange coming from the boy at his side, or more specifically, from said boy's stomach.

"Sorry,"

Bruce's cheeks immediately flared and he dropped his eyes in embarrassment. That and the murmured apologize stopped Dick from laughing out loud. He settled for an amused but not unkind smile instead.

"It's okay. I'm a little hungry too, so I guess that's our cue to go look for Alfred."

With only a small nod and without lifting his eyes Bruce followed the other boy and they left the library.

Dick watched Bruce out of the corner of his eye, not liking what he saw. It was both, sad and weird that he had to think of ways to make Bruce light up even when he was a _kid._ He was still thinking what to do when he saw the approaching figure at the end of the hallway.

"Uncle Clark!" Dick ran toward him, stopping himself from jumping into Super's arms at the very last second. Sure, Clark could still carry him easily- Please! He was Superman. He could carry like ten people in each arm without breaking a sweat (not that he even sweat, anyway) but he was too old for that kind of thing now.

Like any teenager, he even protested when Clark's hand ruffled his hair.

The struggle to leave childish habits like that behind was not an easy one, and it was something he had to kept reminding himself after years of routine. And he had to try harder now that he was part of the team. He couldn't take the risk of slipping and doing something silly in front of them when he already knew he was the weakest link.

With the kind of teammates he had, there was no way around it.

Up until recently, Dick had been delighted by the fact Bruce was part of the Justice League and that he got the chance to meet the other heroes, but lately, he started to wonder more and more just how exactly Bruce handled the pressure and requirements that came with being on a team with such powerful people. If he ever felt inferior and insecure of his place there.

Sure, he was _Batman,_ but under all his training and fancy gadgets he was just human.

Maybe he'll ask him about it sometimes. Except he was a little afraid of the answer he would get.

Bruce stayed where he was, standing by the closed door and shifting on his feet a little as he watched them. He was feeling awkward and out of place. As if he shouldn't be watching them. But seeing Dick react like that to that man's arrival made him miss his parents even more. It reminded him of how he ran to welcome his father like that.

The little boy swallowed hard. He missed his parents so much.

An odd feeling made him look up, and he found himself meeting the bright blue eyes of the strange man as they watched him. He was smiling too, a smile that was almost as nice as Dick's, but there was something strange in his eyes, something Bruce couldn't name yet made him uncomfortable. He dropped his eyes, eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at his shoes.

It was Clark's murmured greeting what pulled the teenager out of his depressing thought.

"What are you doing here?" Dick asked Clark, to keep up the part, of course.

"Well, I couldn't not visit my favorite nephew now that he's in town, could I?"

"Pff! I'm your only nephew," Dick said with an eye roll before turning around to start walking back to where Bruce was standing.

"Well, you would still be my favorite even if you weren't," Clark replied as he walked behind him.

"Bruce, this is my uncle Clark Kent. Uncle Clark, this is Bruce Wayne, my cousin."

Clark crossed the short distance still between them, crouching down to be at eye-level with the little boy and offering his hand with a wide genuine smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kent."

"It's nice to meet you too, Bruce. And you can just call me Clark, okay?"

Clark still hadn't let go of Bruce's hand, and Dick could see the boy was getting a bit uneasy, which Clark would have noticed if he had been paying attention. Dick was pretty sure he was struggling not to scoop Bruce in his arms and hug him to death. Maybe pinch his cheeks a little. And, okay, Dick couldn't blame him for it (he had hugged him as soon as possible) but the last thing they needed was for Bruce to think Clark was a psycho or something like that.

 _Right._ Time to act.

"How's Conner?" Dick called merrily, watching Clark's shoulders tense. "He's his son," He added with a look in Bruce's direction, not giving Clark the chance to evade the issue even now.

The Kryptonian rose to his feet, lifting a hand to touch his glasses and giving him the perfect opportunity to shot Dick a look without Bruce seeing it. Dick only beamed in return.

"Ah. He's ... doing well. Busy with his friends and- stuff, That's why he didn't come."

"That's too bad. Say hi for me? And give him a hug too."

"Right," Clark replied, smile a little forced. He cleared his throat. "What were you guys doing?"

"We were reading," Dick replied with a wave at the closed door behind them. "But now we're on our way to the kitchen to ask Alfred if dinner is ready."

The bright smile was back on Clark's face. "I see. Well, you could go ask Alfred. Or, you could help me with the pizza I brought with me."

Bruce's eyes widened. There was no way Alfred had let him bright pizza into the Manor. Not when Alfred's dislike of fast food was even bigger than his father's. The very few occasions he had been allowed to eat pizza it had been prepared here by Mrs. Dawson, the cook.

The shock and curiosity override Bruce's shyness and discomfort, and he looked up at the man with wide blue eyes.

"How did you convince Alfred to let you bring pizza to the Manor?"

It was strange to hear the real awe in Bruce's voice over something so small and simple, but that didn't make it any less cute. A glimpse of the expression on Clark's face let him know he wasn't the only one enjoying this. Probably more than they should.

"It wasn't an easy task, that's for sure, but I managed to convince him. And not just that. I also brought dessert."

"You brought ice cream too?" Dick asked, both because he wanted confirmation, and to drag Clark's attention away from Bruce. Again. He would need to have a word with the Kryptonian about controlling himself better if he didn't want to freak Bruce out with all the staring and creepy smiles.

"Yeah. I brought your favorite, and since I didn't know Bruce's, I brought a couple of other flavors for him to choose too."

"You're the best!" Dick beamed.

Clark's eyes shone as he laughed. "Of course I am. Now, come on. Let's go before the pizza gets cold, or Alfred changes his mind."

No other words were needed to get the boys moving, and soon they (mostly Dick, though Bruce did send him a furtive look or two) were prompting the reporter to walk faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait, but I brought you an extra long chapter to make up for it, so ... I hope you liked it.
> 
> This chapter was supossed to be all about Clark, but Dick didn't want to let go of Bruce just yet, so we'll have more Clark in the next one :D


	8. Chapter 8

They weren't heading for the kitchen, or the dining room, Dick noticed with a little frown. This could be bad.

So far they managed to keep Bruce from noticing any major changes around the Manor, but that was only because the rooms he had been in hadn't changed all that much. He couldn't say or do anything, though. Not with a very perceptive Bruce walking at his side. He just hoped Clark knew what he was doing.

When he noticed they were headed in the direction of the entertainment room, Dick wasn't so sure anymore. It was probably the _worst_ room uncle Clark could have picked (other than Bruce's own room, for obvious reasons). He tried to think of a way to steer Bruce away without making this even more suspicious, but it was too late.

Clark was oblivious to Dick's struggle as he ushered both boys inside.

Bruce walked into the room and then stopped. He blinked a couple of times before his eyes darted around the room, small brows furrowing further with every second that passed. This was- it was wrong. Everything was wrong here.

Dick held back a groan when he saw Bruce's face. Well, darn. He reached to put a hand on his shoulder to draw his attention.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

"No. I- I don't- This is different."

"What?"

"The room. It's different."

Dick bit his lip, racking his brain for the best way to handle this. Clark spoke before he could say anything, though he still wasn't sure what he would have said anyway.

"Ah, yes. Alfred mentioned your parents finished with the remodeling just before they left. And he told me people from Wayne Enterprises came in just this morning to install the new TV." He told them. "I have to admit I'm a little jealous."

Two pairs of blue eyes looked up at him.

Clark smiled sheepishly. "I have a tiny TV back at home, so seeing this enormous TV is very impressive. The prototype is in the last stage of production, according to what Alfred told me, but I do want to buy one once they are in the market."

"It is pretty asterous," Dick added, feeling relieved and a little guilty for doubting Clark.

Bruce looked away from him. He didn't remember any of that and he could felt tears of frustration prickling his eyes. Why couldn't he remember? How did a stranger know all that when he didn't?

"Where's Alfred?" The boy asked.

Dick looked at the bowed dark head and little fists clenched. He exchanged a worried look with the Kryptonian.

"Ah, he's on the second floor, I think. He mentioned something about getting a room ready for Dick."

It wasn't a part of Alfred's job to do that, but the older man told him his parents gave the rest of the staff the weekend off before leaving when he asked why they were all alone in the Manor, so it made sense that he would have to take care of that.

Silence filled the room.

"Do you want me to call him?"

Bruce shook his head and reached to rub his eyes before lifting his head. He was a big boy. He didn't need Alfred to run to his side, even if he felt confused and bit scared.

"Well, come in then," Clark suggested with a thin smile. "That pizza isn't going to disappear on its own. And I even brought something to watch."

The Kryptonian reached to pick something from the couch and Dick blinked when he saw what he was holding up. It was an old VHS tape of The Gray Ghost. Dick wouldn't be surprised if Clark actually flew to Smallville to pick _his own_ tape. He was almost as big of a fan of the show as Bruce.

Bruce's eyes widened, looking from the tape to Dick's uncle. "You like The Gray Ghost?"

"Of course I like The Gray Ghost! He's the best hero!"

Okay, uncle Clark definitely knew what he was doing. Bringing up Bruce's favorite show was a very good way to stop him from thinking too much about everything else. He wasn't the wold's greatest detective yet, after all. That and the look he put on Bruce's face were enough to make Dick consider sharing one of the photos he took of little Bruce.

There was no doubt Superman had won plenty of points with Bruce over this.

Bruce smiled shyly at the man before turning to Dick. "Do you like The Gray Ghost too?"

The hopeful look on the boy's face would have been enough to make him lie without remorse. Luckily, he didn't have to. "Yeah. My- uh, my dad and I used to watch the episodes together."

This was not the first time Dick thought of Bruce that way, of course, but he had never called him Dad out loud. It was just their luck that the first time he did it Bruce was a little kid and had no idea Dick was talking about him. Talk about bad timing.

"Really? My dad and I do too! He's busy with work a ton, but he always makes time to watch them with me." Bruce bit his lip. Tommy always said The Gray Ghost was silly, so he never mentioned how much he liked it to other kids, afraid they would think the same. "He even gave me his old comic collection. I can show it to you if you want."

The teenager forced a smile. "That would be great!" He exclaimed, looking down at the small beaming face as he thought back to the box of comics tucked away in his own bedroom.

After watching the episodes with his guardian, Dick had become a little Gray Ghost fanboy too, so when Bruce mentioned his old comic collection he asked to borrow it right away. They went looking for it up in the attic the next weekend, and when they found the comic books, Bruce had gifted him the whole box with a shrug and a too-light comment about how he wasn't going to need them anymore.

Dick hadn't known some of them had belonged to Bruce's dad, not even when he saw issues older than Bruce himself. He always assumed Bruce had hunted them down, like the little obsessed fanboy he probably was when he was a kid.

Now, he wasn't sure how he felt about owning something Bruce's father had given his son. At the very least, he wouldn't have let Wally touch them while eating cookies, he thought with a grimace.

Clark cleared his throat, pulling him out of his thought.

"Why don't you go settle over there while I get this thing running? Alfred told me how it works so let's hope I get it right."

Dick looked back at the TV and blinked. And then blinked again. There was an honest-to-god VHS player there! Dick almost blurted out an apology because okay. Uncle Clark really, really knew what he was doing. It was so turbing.

In the end, he settled for sneaking a sloppy grin in his direction. Clark winked in response.

Dick eyed the pizza boxes on the coffee table as he and Bruce draw near and was pleasantly surprised to see they were from Gino's. That was the little pizza place Bruce always took him to. Not that they went there often because _Alfred,_ but it was still their favorite.

Rather than use the nice and comfy furniture, Dick sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch, his back against it. He patted the space at his side and Bruce joined him with a small smile.

"I think it's ready," Clark called back after some tinkering; the remote held in one hand as he pushed his glasses up his nose with the other. And indeed, the main menu appeared on the screen a second later.

The Kryptonian walked toward them, picking up the plates and handing one to each. He settled down, taking one for himself.

"Help yourselves with anything you want. I brought sodas too, with Alfred's permission," He added with a grin before turning to Bruce. "I don't know what toppings you like, Bruce, but I brought pepperoni and mushrooms and a four-cheese pizza. I hope you like one of them, at least."

He nodded politely. "It's fine, Mr. Kent. Thank you."

"Clark." He corrected.

Dick looked from Bruce to Clark as he chewed. Clark was still trying a bit too hard, but at least Bruce didn't seem uncomfortable by it.

"Clark," Bruce repeated softly.

With a blinding smile, Clark turned to press a button on the remote. A moment later, the familiar music of The Gray Ghost opening filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There wasn't as much Clark-Bruce interaction as I would have liked because they're still pretty much strangers, but I hope you enjoyed the little I was able to squeeze in. Clark will be making another apparition further on, so I hope things go a little better then.
> 
> Thank you fo reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Standing by the door, Alfred allowed a discrete smile to form on his lips as the sound of laughter drifted from the three figures in the room. It had been so long since he had heard the beautiful and dear laugh of his young charge, and hearing it alongside Master Dick's was truly a gift.

He did not move, closing his eyes as he took a moment to bask in this blissful moment for a bit longer.

The sound of a well-known throat cleaning made Dick look back to find Alfred standing behind the couch. The sound of the TV cut out a second later.

"I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Kent, but I believe it's time for Master Bruce and Master Dick to start getting ready for bed."

"Aww, it's too early!" Dick complained, even if he had no idea what time it was. He had been enjoying this -being with Bruce and Clark and watching something they all loved- too much to pay attention to anything else. So much for believing he was past his Gray Ghost fanboy days, he thought wryly.

But, if even _Batman_ and _Superman_ were still Gray Ghost fanboys, he didn't feel too embarrassed about it.

Uncle Clark had to leave a couple of times to deal with emergencies but had used answering a phone call and going to the bathroom as excuses to leave the room. Bruce had been thankfully too busy watching Gray Ghost solving mysteries and saving everyone to notice anything strange in that.

Bruce struggled to hold back a yawn when Alfred looked his way but failed. He barely lifted a hand in time to cover his mouth.

"It is most definitely not 'too early' for two young gentlemen to go to bed, sir," Alfred said, looking back at Dick.

"Sorry, Alfred. I hadn't noticed it was so late," Clark said with a sheepish smile after looking at his watch.

"There is no harm done, sir."

Dick felt a little bad when he saw the almost pained expression on Alfred's face as he looked at the center table filled with empty pizza boxes and soda cans, as well as the ice cream bowls. The feeling passed as soon as it came when he noticed the similarities on Bruce and Clark's demeanors. Both were very deliberately not looking at Alfred and seemed pretty guilty.

It was so freaking adorable! He barely stopped from cooing.

"I can help you clean all this," The Kryptonian offered after a moment, standing up.

"That is not necessary, Mr. Kent. I will take care of it."

"Okay."

Clark shot the butler an uneasy look before turning back to the boys now standing at his sides.

"This was fun, wasn't it?" He asked with a curl of his lips.

"It was asterous!" Dick shouted with a raised fist. "Sorry," He added quietly in Alfred's direction.

"It was fun. Thank you." Bruce added with a smile as the man turned to him.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Maybe I could try to come back tomorrow. If you're okay with it, of course," Clark added, looking at Bruce. "It is your home, after all. And I'm sorry for showing up like this. I just wanted to surprise this guy," He added as he ruffled the older boy's hair.

"Oh. I was surprised alright." Dick piped up, stepping away from the offending hand.

"It's fine," Bruce replied with a little shrug. "And you can come back if you want."

"Thanks, champ," He beamed at the little boy before turning to Alfred. "It is okay if I come back, right?"

"Of course, sir. Though, may I suggest refraining from bringing any more of that so-called food?"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I will do that."

Alfred nodded.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Bruce," He grinned, offering his hand.

"It was nice to meet you as well, Mr. Ke-" Bruce looked from the man's face to Alfred and back. "Clark."

"Thank you," Clark replied with a soft look before finally letting go of his hand. He hesitated a moment, looking at Bruce before he turned to Dick, ruffling his hair affectionately before dragging him into a hug. "It was great to see you too, kiddo."

"You too, big guy. Make sure to come back, huh?"

"Of course." Clark booped him on his nose, making the teenager protest. "Behave yourself, okay? I don't want to be called in the middle of the night to pick you up because you're a handful."

Bruce frowned, looking up the man. How could he think they would just kick Dick out? That was rude. He turned to the older boy and frowned when he saw the smile on his face.

"I can't believe you would suggest something like that, uncle Clark. It's like you don't know me at all," He said cheekily.

"Right," Clark snorted.

The boy blinked. Oh, they weren't serious. That was good.

* * *

After seeing Clark Kent off at the door, Alfred led both boys up the stairs to the second floor and to their temporal bedrooms, one across the other. The butler moved to open the door of the bedroom to the right and turn on the light.

"I took the liberty of unpacking your bags and accommodate your possessions in this bedroom, Master Dick."

"Thanks, Alfred." He replied. That meant Alfred took the time to move some of his things to this guest bedroom since, as Alfred said before, he couldn't use his own.

"You're welcome, young sir." Alfred crossed the hall and did the same with the bedroom on the opposite side. "You, Master Bruce, will be using this bedroom. I already lay a pair of pyjamas for you to use, so why don't you go get ready for bed while I show Master Dick his room."

"Okay." Bruce agreed easily before turning to the other boy. "Good night, Dick."

Dick crossed the short distance between them and bent down to hug him, planting a soft kiss at the top of his head. "Night, little B. I'll see you tomorrow."

The younger boy gave a short nod, feeling his face heat up at the unexpected hug. He ducked his head and turned to enter the bedroom.

"This way, Master Dick." Alfred prompted when his now older charge didn't move, still looking after Bruce.

They entered the guest room together, and Dick flopped on the large bed.

"I assume everything went well with Mr. Kent's visit?"

"It went a lot more that well," He was quick to assure him with a grin. "Bruce was kind of gloomy and shy at first, but uncle Clark is great at getting people to like him, and he brought Gray Ghost, so of course Bruce warmed up to him pretty quickly."

The butler smiled softly in response. "I brought here what I thought you may need before locking your bedroom, but if there's anything missing, let me know and I shall get it for you."

"I will, Alfie. Thanks."

Alfred bowed slightly. "I shall go see Master Bruce now."

"Wait-"

"Don't worry, Master Dick," Alfred said before Dick could finish. "I shall come back to share what little Mr. Kent told me once Master Bruce is asleep."

The light sound of Dick's laugh followed the butler as he walked to the door.

Bruce was in the bathroom when Alfred entered the bedroom, the clothes he had been wearing folded untidily at the foot of the bed. The butler folded them correctly before putting them away on one of the armchairs and then walked to pull the covers back and arrange the pillows.

Alfred was still in the room when Bruce slipped out of the bathroom, clad in a pair of striped light blue pyjamas.

"Did you brush your teeth, Master Bruce?" He called without turning around. Bruce stopped, his brow furrowed. He hadn't even made any noise!

"I did," He replied when the butler looked in his direction, showing him his teeth.

"Very well. You should lie down now."

Bruce nodded, closing the distance to the bed and doing as he was told.

"Did you enjoy your day, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked after a moment of hesitation as he tucked the thick blanket carefully around the boy.

"Uh-huh." He lifted a hand to his mouth as he yawned. "I like Dick. He's really nice and fun."

"He is," Alfred agreed with a gentle smile. "I hope you were not alarmed by Mr. Kent unforeseen visit."

"A little," Bruce admitted. "Do you know Mr. Kent?"

"I suppose you could say that. I have met him several times before." He replied, trying to be as honest as possible under the circumstances.

"He's nice. And he likes Gray Ghost," Bruce added, content with that reply. He knew Alfred would never let anyone like that into the Manor if he didn't know them, especially while his parents were away.

"Alfred?" Bruce called quietly as the butler stepped away from the bed.

"Yes, Master Bruce?"

"When can I talk to my parents?"

The butler sighed softly before turning back to face him. "I do not know, Master Bruce. I told you before that the town they are in is so small that there isn't an adequate phone reception." The expression on the boy's face made him add, "I'm sure they will call as soon as they are able."

"I miss them." He whispered as he looked down at his hands resting on the blanket.

Alfred hesitated before putting a comforting hand on Bruce's thin shoulder, grateful the boy wasn't looking at him. "I know you do, dear boy, but they shall be back very soon."

Bruce nodded, rubbing his eyes with the cuff of his pyjamas.

The butler withdrew his hand, needing to look away for a moment. "It is time for you to sleep now, young sir."

"'kay," He yawned again. "Night, Alfred."

"Good night, Master Bruce," Alfred replied softly after smoothing the blankets one more time. He chose to leave the bedside lamp on without asking before exiting the room on silent feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who didn't want to leave just yet? This chapter was supposed to be all about Bruce, Alfred, and Dick, but I couldn't exactly kick Clark out without letting him say goodbye. Even if he's going to be back soon anyway. And, sorry about the angsty turn at the end, but I couldn't help myself.


End file.
